Monday, June 15, 2009

Son,I went out with a dear friend of mine the other night, it was one of those impromptu moms-need-a-break things and we (as usual) were talking about our kiddos. One thing that jumped out at me during our conversation was the thought that we always notice the negative things that our kids do. I don't know how to explain it but when a mom is in a room with 100 children plus one of her own, she can pretty much ignore the irritating things the other 100 do and only notice the poor behavior of her own. We were laughing about how no one ever seems to notice the fidgeting or funny faces of other children but we are so worried about how others perceive our children. It's a stupid thing that I just have to attribute to being human-even moms are worried about whether or not other moms think they're good at being moms.

On the flip side, I have found that I am always surprised (and relieved) at the praise you receive from others. In fact, when I think about it, most people have very positive things to say about you. This makes me happy. It helps me to see you not just as my child, but as an individual. It also reminds me that even though you struggle in some things, some of what your father and I are teaching you is sticking!

It's a crazy balancing act we parents do, one foot in the world of teaching and restraining, the other in the realm of individuality and freedom. I hope that I will always stay evenly in both.